Wendigo
A Wendigo (also known as windigo, weendigo, windago, windiga, witiko, wihtikow, and numerous other variants including manaha) is a demonic half-beast creature appearing in the legends of the Algonquian peoples along the Atlantic Coast and Great Lakes Region of both the United States and Canada. The creature or spirit could either possess characteristics of a human or a monster that had physically transformed from a person. It is particularly associated with cannibalism. The Algonquian believed those who indulged in eating human flesh were at particular risk; the legend appears to have reinforced the taboo of the practice of cannibalism. It is often described in Algonquian mythology as a balance of nature. The legend lends its name to the disputed modern medical term Wendigo psychosis. This is supposed to be a culture-bound disorder that features symptoms such as an intense craving for human flesh and a fear the sufferer is a cannibal. This condition was alleged to have occurred among Algonquian native cultures but remains disputed. The Wendigo character now is a common creature found in modern horror fiction. Society The Wendigo’s territory is vast, stretching from the Canadian Rockies and the Arctic Circle in the north to the Great Lakes regions and the Dakotas. It reigns supreme across the whole of Canada. The Wendigo society operates a class system, nominally based on an individuals hunting experience and prowess. Their castes includes: * Young Blood: About 25% of Wendigos are unblooded. This means that the Wendigo has made no distinguishable kills. Once a Wendigo kills their first worthy target and collects its head as a trophy, they become blooded. All unblooded are children too young to safely hunt prey. * Blooded: About 45% of Wendigos are blooded. These are warriors who have gained their clan's symbol upon their forehead after their first successful hunt. They are allowed access to more advanced weaponry denied to the unblooded Wendigos. * Retirees: About 10% of Wendigo are retirees, Wendigos who have fought their time and now are too old and honored to hunt. Females commonly come under this section due to their roles as mothers. ** Elite: Elite Wendigos are often leaders in their clan. About 15% of blooded Wendigos are Elite Wendigos. Elites specialize in a particular weapon, making that weapon their strong-suit. Elite Predators often become retirees after a few decades. * Clan Leader: They become the forefathers of that clan and will repopulate with females of their choosing. Clan leaders comprise 5% of the Wendigo society. * Apprentice: These are honorable humans taken by Wendigos to learn their ways. * Ancient: Veterans of many hunts, these Wendigos are nearly a 1000 years old and are also leaders and retirees. Few Wendigos live long enough to become Ancients and those that do are highly respected. Physiology Physical Traits Wendigos are dark-skinned, seldom gray. They are very skinny and bony. Wendigos have 2 horns and tendrils. Five fingers in each hand, five toes on each foot. All fingers and toes are covered with rough bone-like skin and progressively become claws on the tips. Wendigos have very narrow eyes with slit pupils. The eyes are usually white. Their tendrils are encased in powerful muscles that can move independently and are dexterous. Most have no hair at all, but those that dwell in extremely cold climates can sometimes be found with snow-white, fur. Its maw is filled with sharp teeth, the Wendigo’s lips are flecked with blood, and their long tongues are a disgusting dark blue. Its eyes are one of its most frightening aspects, which range in color from glowing red to bright yellow, with cat pupils. Psychological The Wendigo is a purely anthropophagous beast, hungering for human flesh. It will go to any lengths to procure this food, no matter the risk or possibility of injury. In preparation for long winters (when few travelers are out and about), the Wendigo will stash away large pots filled to the rim with human remains in the highest tree branches. On rare occasions, it will take humans alive and hide them away in its lair, allowing the beast to feed whenever it wants. The Wendigo is more intelligent than many humans, and thus understands the value of storing and saving its food. However, it will only resort to this when food is scarce and it becomes desperate. The Wendigo can be sadistic as it prefers to terrify its victims before moving in for the kill. Despite the ferocity and brutality with which Wendigos hunt and kill their prey, they adhere to a strict code of honor that forbids them from killing children or the elderly. They have also been known to spare pregnant women. They also can be extremely protective of their homes and their family. Powers * '''Superhuman Physiology: '''The Wendigo is a supernatural entity of enormous power, the embodiment of insatiable hunger, gluttony, unbridled evil, and the savage predator. Befitting its bestial nature, the Wendigo possesses supernatural strength, speed, endurance, and senses. The beast is able to rip a human apart with little effort, and the Wendigo moves so quickly that it cannot be seen by the human eye. Any wounds that are inflicted on the Wendigo’s body are healed very quickly, although wounds caused by silver tend to heal very slowly. It is invulnerable to most conventional weapons, excluding arms incorporating pure silver. The Wendigo thrives in even the harshest climates, immune to extremes of cold. * '''Enhanced Senses: '''The Wendigo’s senses of sight, smell, and hearing are greatly enhanced, comparable to those of many predatory animals. The Wendigo can see clearly in total darkness, and it may have some kind of infrared vision, enabling it to see its prey by detecting its bodily heat emanations. Once the Wendigo has its prey’s scent, it is able to follow it swiftly and precisely, no matter how far away the victim may be. Its hearing is so keen that it can hear the pounding of its fear-filled victim’s heart, which causes the beast’s own heart to pound with joy and anticipation. * '''Claws & Fangs: '''Besides sheer strength and animalistic ferocity, the Wendigo is armed with a formidable array of weaponry: its dreaded claws and fangs. The beast’s claws have been described as icicles, reflecting its utter dominion over its freezing territory. These talons are designed for ripping through flesh with the slightest touch, and one swipe from the Wendigo’s powerful claws can disembowel or decapitate a human. The beast’s mouth is filled with long, needle-sharp fangs, made for slicing through flesh and sinew, as well as for breaking bones. The Wendigo’s fangs can easily puncture a human skull. * '''Superhuman Intelligence: '''The Wendigo has superhuman intelligence and cunning, as well as the predatory instincts of an animal. It is mystically attuned to every single tree, bush, rock, hill, or cave within its territory. The Wendigo uses this advantage to stalk its victims for hours on end, never being seen or heard unless the monster chooses to reveal itself by means of a growl or a shriek. There is no way to hide from the Wendigo, and it will not stop hunting until the victim’s broken, mutilated body lies at its clawed feet. * '''Stealth: '''The Wendigo excels in stealth, and it is said that the Wendigo moves on the wind and breezes in utter silence. It can fill the air with an eerie, haunting siren by forcing the air through its blood-flecked lips. When the freezing winds rise, it is said that the Wendigo’s howls can be distinguished from the moan of the wind, letting people nearby know that a monster lurks in their midst. For its prey, these warnings occur far too late to make any appreciable difference. * '''Vocal Mimicry: '''The Wendigo is able to mimic human voices, which are most often cries for help. The beast’s roar is utterly terrifying, and the fear it inspires cuts to the bone. * '''Magical Knowledge: '''As the Wendigo grows older, its powers over nature increase exponentially. The beast becomes a shaman, extremely adept in the dark arts. With this power, the Wendigo can manipulate the weather, creating storms of terrifying strength, and the beast can summon the midnight darkness hours before sunset. The Wendigo may summon dangerous beasts from the deepest, darkest reaches of the forest and command them to attack its enemies, traverse enormous distances in the blink of an eye, and heal any wounds instantaneously (although injuries inflicted by silver may take longer to heal). * '''Shapeshifting: '''The Wendigo can shapeshift into anyone to bait its victims. Weakness * '''Fire: '''Despite the beast’s immeasurable amount of power, there are ways to protect oneself from the Wendigo. If one is hunting this creature, a fire must be kept burning at all times. This will deter the Wendigo from attacking, but only for so long. If burned, the wounds will quickly heal and will only make the beast angry. * '''Magical Protection: '''Any means of mystical protection should be employed (amulets, protective spells, fetishes, and charms), as these things hold power over the Wendigo. * '''Headphones: '''Headphones or earplugs must be used to block out the beast’s maddening shrieks. * '''Silver: '''The Wendigo cannot be hurt or killed by conventional methods or weapons, including blades or firearms. However, silver is lethal to the Wendigo. Silver bullets or a pure silver blade (or silvered steel) can cause the Wendigo great pain and can even kill the beast. * In order to permanently destroy the Wendigo, one must first find the beast. The Great Lakes region and the forests of Canada are prime Wendigo territory. Beware, for the hunter may soon become the hunted. After finding and incapacitating the beast (no easy task, be assured), a silver stake must be driven through the Wendigo’s heart of ice, therefore shattering it. The shards of the Wendigo’s heart must be securely locked in a silver box and buried in consecrated ground (such as a churchyard or a cemetery). * The Wendigo’s body must then be dismembered with a silver-plated ax, and each piece of the body must be salted and burned to ashes (which must then be scattered to the four winds), or each piece must be hidden in some remote, inaccessible location (i.e. the bottom of a lake, a chasm, the sea floor, or a well). Failure to follow these procedures exactly will inevitably result in the Wendigo’s resurrection, followed by its bloody vengeance. It will hunt down its killer, relishing and anticipating the taste of the hunter’s blood in every single moment. Rest assured, the death that follows will be both slow and painful. The Wendigo will take great pleasure in every single bit of agony it inflicts on its killer before finishing the job and devouring the remains. Beware, as according to some legends, the Wendigo is indestructible Trivia * Wendigos are capable of comprehensible speech and reading. However, all Wendigos are trainable and have an extremely high capacity for learning. If a Wendigo is raised by humans, it can be trained to the point it can interact seamlessly with humans. * Thanks to billions of microscopic, needle-like hairs on their skin, Wendigos can move on any surface. * Wendigos are incredibly lithe and graceful. Their flexible joints and durable bone structure allow them to make complex movements that other creatures simply can't. They can easily crawl in and out of vents and twist around corners. They can even fit inside small spaces in order to wait for and ambush their prey. * Wendigos are extremely dangerous predators. When it came to the competition with nature's most fiercest predators (From bears to wildcats to sharks to wolves,etc), Wendigos had bested all competition, brutally killing and then eating the enemy. *A Wendigo's skin is naturally dry. Also, a Wendigo's skin keeps it well insulated, so they can withstand extremely low and high temperatures. Their skin is also highly resistant to electricity. Even if they touch a live, sparking wire, the least they will get is a small shock. *The strong muscles in their legs allow them to make powerful jumps. *Wendigos are both bipedal and quadrupedal. Wendigos walk on their toes; you'll rarely see them walking with their heels on the ground. Wendigos use their dizzying speed to confuse prey. Their speed makes them elusive to most forms of attacks, including gunfire. *Wendigos possess a superior sense of smell. Like sharks, they can smell blood from over a mile away. *Wendigos have pointed ears. You can't see them because of all that fur/hair. Their sense of hearing is so acute that they can detect noise from other Wendigos or other animals that are miles away. *Wendigo Hair is actually considered "fur" by scientists. *Wendigos have an extremely fast metabolism. Their metabolism can allow them to eat pounds of food in one day. The food is immediately turned into energy which a Wendigo can use to continue on to the next hunt. *Wendigos are in fact carnivorous. They eat meat. But they tend to lean towards more omnivorous tenancies. *Wendigos can only hold their breath for extreme amounts of time. Wendigos are surprisingly really good swimmers. They are very graceful in the water. *Wendigo babies are the size of a small kitten. They are very delicate. Since they can't hunt on their own, the parent Wendigos must go retrieve food for its young. But, in actuality, Wendigos grow very fast. In less than several weeks, a Wendigo will grow nearly four times its size! After many months, the Wendigo will be almost at full size. *Though Wendigos grow rapidly, they are known to live very long lives. Category:Supernatural Category:Species Category:Shapeshifters Category:Creatures